How firms or chambers can support

Even within a straightforward pro bono partnership, support can
vary in form and can build up over time to utilise different types
of resources.

Forms of support can include:

1. Volunteer lawyers for advice surgeries

This is the standard form of pro bono partnership and many
advice agencies underestimate the value of this type of service;
'what would they know about what our clients need?' is a very
common view among advice centre managers faced with the prospect of
city lawyers advising in their centre. The answer is that 'they'
would know a great deal.

Very few lawyers could handle a complex benefits or immigration
matter, but with very basic training many could easily cope with
consumer and small claims advice, rent deposit and assured
shorthold tenancy matters.

Lawyers are courteous to clients and diligent with their work.
They are a boon if used properly.

2. Volunteer lawyers for representation at Tribunal or
Court

Volunteer barristers are the most common source of this type of
support, and are usually sourced through the Free Representation
Unit or the Bar Pro Bono Unit.

Where a volunteer barrister is not available, a solicitor from
a city firm can be excellent if working in their specialist field
or with specialist support from their firm. Solicitors have the
resources to do exceptionally thorough preparation for such
representative matters, which lays the foundation for excellent
representation.

With representation, as with all types of pro bono partnership,
limitations must be recognised and access to a wider source of
expert help obtained. The partners in a firm will normally know
when to call on FRU (firms and agencies who are not existing FRU
members may refer cases to FRU through LawWorks).

It is also well worth a partnership building a relationship
with the Bar, which can be done through the Bar Pro Bono Unit. The
partnership can then gain support when a case is beyond its
expertise.

3. Volunteer lawyers to undertake in-house advice and
casework

Firms may take on a limited number of cases for clients with
special difficulties as in-house pro bono cases in their own name.
These tend to be cases where a particular issue of human rights is
involved.

It is also common for firms to assist community groups with
legal matters such as leases, employment, constitutions, and
intellectual property. This is relatively easy for the firm as they
will be acting in an area of work in which they already specialise.
This is of great benefit to an advice centre who wish to support
their local community groups and enjoy the rewards that brings, but
who do not have the capacity or expertise in that particular area
of law.

One of the most valuable resources from in-house pro bono as
part of the CSR partnership is assisting the partner centre itself.
All advice centres have legal matters to deal with from time to
time; leases are the most common, but all sorts of things may arise
and the old adage of 'only a fool represents himself' certainly
applies to legal advice centres.

4. Trainee placements

Trainees from city firms placed with their partner centre for
three to six months are a fabulous resource. They are invariably
committed, always bright and add capacity to the centre's ability
to help clients.

Trainees are normally best used to support casework, interview
clients, and help at Court or Tribunal.

5. PA/Secretary/Admin secondments

This is another great capacity-building resource. Some firms or
chambers will send a secretary or PA for a day each week, which can
keep the backlog of typing under control and help with the running
of the centre's office.

This tends to work under a rota, with a different secretary
sent each week. There will, therefore, be a fair amount of repeat
inductions at the start, but it is well worth the time.

6. Free artwork and small publishing or printing
jobs

Most firms have IT departments with good designers, and lots of
chambers will include members of staff with IT expertise. So free
design of posters and leaflets for a partner centre should be
easily possible.

Designing a whole annual report might be asking a bit much
initially, but when a CSR partnership has reached full momentum the
partner agency can, in theory, ask for anything it needs and the
firm or chambers will feel comfortable turning down the requests
for jobs it cannot realistically undertake.

7. Meeting spaces (possibly with catering)

Most firms have an over-capacity of meeting rooms, so it is
usually relatively easy to arrange for free use of a room for a
partner centre.

Larger firms often provide tea/coffee with a room as a matter
of course, and some firms might provide full catering for a special
event.

8. Free archiving

This is a growing area of support involving the firm or
chambers allowing the advice centre to archive files within their
IT system. Effectively, the advice centre is counted as a branch
office for filing purposes.

The advice centre files in accordance with the existing system
and then has professional storage and file retrieval for free. The
cost to the firm or chambers, who are bulk-buying storage, is
normally far smaller than the savings made by the advice agency.
This therefore provides excellent value for money while ridding the
agency of cost or wasted advice space.

9. Funding

Of course, funding is what advice agencies need above all else.
It often comes as part of the partnership, although firms or
chambers may have varying view on the issue. Normally, a
relationship develops before significant funding becomes part of
the package.

Very few firms or chambers offer funding initially; instead a
firm or chambers would try to ensure that the support they provide
to their partner agency is, at worst, cost neutral. For instance,
an evening surgery receptionist or supervising lawyer would be paid
for by the firm or chambers from the beginning.

CSR support from city firms and chambers to agencies is
developing all the time, and the list above is just a selection of
methods of support currently provided by some partnerships. There
will be other forms of help which arise from regular communication
between the firm or chambers and the agency, which generates an
understanding of each party's needs and encourages a good working
relationship.

What to do next:

Firms that are just starting to deliver pro bono
services

The obvious first step is to join LawWorks. LawWorks can help
their members to develop their pro bono profile by arranging ad hoc
pro bono opportunities, such as helping community groups through
the LawWorks in the Community scheme or putting individual lawyers
in touch with advice clinics staffed by lawyers from a range of
firms. LawWorks can also help firms to find a suitable
not-for-profit partner agency and help to develop the pro bono
element of a partnership.

To enquire about joining LawWorks, contact Anne
Monk on am@lawworks.org.uk.

Firms with existing pro bono or CSR
partnerships

These firms will almost certainly already be LawWorks members,
and all they need to do is arrange a review meeting with their
partner advice agency/agencies.

Having decided in advance which elements on the list the firm
can provide, it is worth exploring carefully which elements the
advice agency can effectively use. Then, when the advice agency has
the idea of what a fuller CSR relationship can provide by way of
support, they may come up with other requests.

To discuss pro bono service development with LawWorks, contact
David Raeburn on
david.raeburn@lawworks.org.uk.

Barristers and Chambers wishing to help

Barristers and chambers wishing to provide pro bono help on an
ad hoc basis or within a partnership structure should contact the
Bar Pro Bono Unit here.